


Afterglow

by choiseokjinie



Category: TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Eventual Happy Ending, Fluff, Happy, Heartbreak, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, adult tings, happiness, i acc love this, not to toot my own horn but yes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:07:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25717795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/choiseokjinie/pseuds/choiseokjinie
Summary: Beomgyu was already in the process of moving on; it was hard, it was suffocating and he wanted to cry all the time but he was trying. He just wanted to get a certain red-head off his mind already, but what happens when he shows up one day before he leaves for a fresh start elsewhere?Are happy endings possible after all?
Relationships: Choi Beomgyu/Kang Taehyun
Comments: 7
Kudos: 74





	Afterglow

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I wrote this for my friend Faith @txtsoftboiz on twitter who I love so much and I want to see happy always. I know it's sad but please, I couldn't do Taegyu like that so enjoy :) 
> 
> If you have any feedback, I'd love to hear from you so leave them below or feel free to chat to me on twitter @choiseokjinie.

It was already nearing ten o’clock at night from what Beomgyu could read from the clock perched up on his bedside table. The cool summer breeze was blowing in from the half open window, a welcome sensation in contrast to the room that was so warm it almost felt like he was in a sauna. The sweat was pouring from his forehead and down his back, the hours spent packing his belongings into boxes partly to blame. 

He sighed, and sat down on his bed for a short break. Looking around at the room that had been stripped of any decoration and furniture, there was barely any trace that someone had lived here for the past three years. There was no trace of the late nights spent trying to finish paperwork for deadlines, or the early mornings spent in bed cuddling his favourite person. 

Well who  _ was  _ his favourite person. It had been almost a month since they had broken up for the sake of Beomgyu’s career, but he still couldn’t bring himself to say the actual words, the word  _ ex _ feeling far too bitter in his mouth. 

He had buried the night that it had all happened into a locked box in the back of his mind, desperate to forget, or even just ignore the feelings. He knew he was setting himself up for even more heartbreak by suppressing his feelings, but Beomgyu was never the best at handling emotions anyway. He preferred to bottle things up and deal with it later, or better yet, ignore them until they eventually go away. 

Beomgyu had tried so hard to ignore his broken heart, but there was no denying that the past few weeks had been hell. Everywhere he turned, everywhere he went, there was always a trace of the red haired boy following him everywhere, like a ghost clinging onto the past. 

He shook his head, stopping himself from sinking deeper and further into the pit of sadness that was slowly taking over his mind. He needed to distract himself; and just at that very moment, his stomach grumbled, begging to be fed after exerting all its energy from packing. 

Beomgyu knew he should have just made something that was in his kitchen, something to try and use up everything that was left in his small apartment before he would leave in two days time. But before he knew it, he was stepping outside of his apartment building and walking to his favourite takeaway shop;  _ their _ favourite takeaway shop. 

After a short walk, he stepped through the familiar door, the scent of delicious food cooking hitting his nose immediately. His mouth was salivating, itching to eat whatever food he could get his hands on. 

He walked to the counter, already knowing what to get without even so much as a glance at the menu; he could practically recall it from the back of his mind anyway. 

“Beomgyu-ah!” The elderly man said, waving and offering a friendly smile. 

“Hello! Long time no see.” he replied, grinning back. 

“Let me guess, the usual?” he asked, already walking away to prepare his order before Beomgyu could even utter another word. 

He smiled fondly, taking in the shop. He had lost count how many times he had stood in this same spot, waiting for his order as he looked around at the decorations. The only difference this time was he no longer had anyone to wait with, no one to count down the seconds until they got their food, no one to sing along to the radio that always seemed to play nothing but old songs. 

Without anyone by his side, he felt so small in the shop, watching as the elder man prepared his order of naengmyeon, which was a perfect remedy for the warmth in his apartment. Daegyu summers were almost unbearable, the humid heat unrelenting even at night and so anything cold would soothe his mind. 

He couldn’t help but think about how he would leave the fan on all night, a desperate attempt to escape the heat but during the middle of the night it would be switched off because  _ he  _ would get cold.

_ No, Beomgyu. Stop it. Stop thinking about him.  _

“Here you go!” the shop owner said, knocking Beomgyu out of his spiralling thoughts. 

He grabbed his food and smiled, reaching out to grab his wallet to pay. 

“Oh no! This one’s on the house.” he protested, waving away the cash Beomgyu was offering. “You’re my most loyal customer here.” 

“No please, I insist.” Beomgyu pleaded, but it was of no use, the older man resisting his efforts.

“Please, I want to give it to you. I haven’t seen you around here in awhile, where’s Taehyun anyway?” he asked innocently. 

Beomgyu winced at the mere mention of his name. He hadn’t heard that name in so long, refusing to even think about it in an effort to move on and forget. His method was clearly ineffective, but still, he liked to think he was doing something right. 

He didn’t have the heart to tell him, not when he was smiling so innocently at Beomgyu. 

“He’s just been busy with work. I’ll tell him to stop by soon!” Beomgyu muttered, lying through his teeth. “I’ve got to get going now! Thank you for the food.” 

And with one last wave and a smile, he went back home. 

He took his time walking back, delaying the inevitable scene of him eating the cold noodles alone as he stared outside the window and looked up at the night sky. He would miss Daegu, this had been his home for the past 24 years, the place where he built his foundations and where he created lifetime memories with the most precious people in his life. And most importantly,  _ he  _ would still be here. But Beomgyu chose to ignore the last thought. 

He knew it was a big step to leave everything behind and move to Seoul to pursue bigger things. But he also knew that if he didn’t take the opportunity, he would spend the rest of his life wondering about the what ifs, haunted by the possibilities he let slip through his fingers. 

His mind was convinced that it was a good thing for him; a fresh start. So why was his heart fighting so hard, engaging in a battle that it had already lost?

  
  


After cleaning up his meal (that was devoured by the way), he didn’t have the strength to pack any more things so he decided to call it a day and got ready for bed instead. He would be in a rush tomorrow but he couldn’t muster up enough strength to even care anymore, his bed basically calling his name. 

He was about to pull back the sheets and jump in when something laying on top of a box beside his bed caught his eye. Despite his body begging for rest, he went towards it and picked it up. 

It was  _ his  _ favourite hoodie; it was a plain design, a light lilac colour and far too oversized. But just looking at it brought back a flood of memories, memories that almost brought Beomgyu to his knees. Thankfully he managed to make it onto the bed, clutching it in his hands. 

He remembered packing a box of  _ his  _ things last week to send back. He didn’t have the heart to face him and hand it over, so he cowardly left it at his front door before running away, his heart beating so fast at the possibility of even catching a glimpse of him. 

In the box contained three years worth of dating; a hell of a lot of clothes, some bits and pieces and some photos that Beomgyu had decided he could no longer bear to have so he left it up to the other to decide what to do with them. He packed everything, absolutely everything that would remind him of the other boy… except this hoodie. 

He had wanted to let it go, he truly did but his heart couldn’t bear it. He felt too attached to it, and even though he knew it was selfish he allowed himself the luxury of keeping just one item to comfort him as he lay in bed crying pools of tears, trying to repair a broken heart he never wanted. 

_ He  _ had worn it the first time they had ever met, in that small coffee shop near the university.  _ He  _ had worn it on the sixth date, the time he had met Beomgyu’s family and they had all instantly fallen in love with him as much as Beomgyu was infatuated with him. 

_ He  _ had worn it that night Beomgyu was breaking down over his accounting exam and he had come over with jajangmyeon at 3am in the morning to comfort him and keep him company. 

There were so many more times he had worn it, looking so adorable as the hoodie had swallowed him with its size, looking so soft that Beomgyu just wanted to hold him tight and never let go.

But Beomgyu couldn’t remember anymore, his tears falling from the corner of his eyes and before he knew it he was sobbing, clutching the hoodie to his chest. 

He had held back everything for the past few weeks, choosing to ignore it and distract himself with anything, that it seemed he had reached his breaking point and now all his suppressed feelings were spilling out with no control whatsoever. 

Beomgyu sobbed for all of the memories they had created together, for all the future plans they had made and will no longer be able to fulfill, for the man he had loved and lost. He let out all his sadness, all the hurt and heartbreak he had been burying deep down. 

They had mapped out the next ten years together, planned every move, planned every goal together. And now it had all disappeared and here he was, left with nothing but a clean slate. They had gone through hell together and had made it back to heaven together; all for nothing.

In their situation, fate had stepped in and all their plans were now merely lessons, blessings, good memories and good stories to keep in the back of their minds. Beomgyu’s world had revolved around him, but now he was too far out of reach and when the time came, all those plans and memories would be the only thing left for Beomgyu to hold onto when it was time to truly let go.

His most important person, was now merely a cautionary tale that not every great love you have will be with you forever. There was an irrational part of him that wanted nothing more than to call him, just to hear even a second of his voice to comfort his splintering heart but he knew if he did that, it would truly break him and he would fall apart, not knowing how to put his pieces back together.

And so, he turned the lights off, clutching onto the hoodie for much needed comfort in his bed that felt far too big, and went to sleep with his eyes drained of every possible tear that he could have released. 

Just before he slept, he made a promise to himself to return it tomorrow and truly be done with everything. 

  
  


When the morning came and his alarm woke him up, Beomgyu felt like shit. His head was pounding, his eyes puffy to the point that it was almost painful to open them and his body was begging for more rest.

But he knew better than to give into his desires, and he had made a promise to himself last night that he was determined to fulfill, hoping that it would ease a burden off his shoulders. 

So he got ready, made his bed and put the hoodie into a bag, not even daring to look at it for a second longer in fear that the waterworks would start again; he just didn’t have the time today to acknowledge his emotions. He was back into autopilot mode, only focused on completing the tasks he had made for himself and then get ready to leave behind his life here and search for a new one. 

Beomgyu couldn’t stomach breakfast, the thought of food nauseating him and so instead he decided to complete the most difficult task first. He put on his shoes and grabbed his keys, heading out the door. 

But what lay before his eyes on the other side of the door stopped him dead in his tracks. The last person he expected to be standing there was standing there, a few feet away, smiling softly at him. Beomgyu stood there like an idiot, his mouth agape, eyes probably jumping out in shock. 

“I… Why… What are you doing here?” Beomgyu let out, his voice so quiet it sounded like a whisper. 

“Are you free today? Just for a few hours?” Taehyun asked, hopefulness filling his voice. 

“I was just about to return your hoodie.” Beomgyu answered, gesturing to the bag in his hand. 

“Oh thanks! I’ve been looking for that.” Taehyun answered, still looking cheerful. 

Far too cheerful. Had he really been moving on this quickly, while Beomgyu had lay in bed last night crying over a broken heart. Was it even possible?

“So, are you free?” 

And despite his mind screaming at him to say no, hand over the bag and just get back inside to finish packing, his heart took over every sense of control he had and he simply nodded, earning himself a bright smile from the red haired boy in front of him. 

That’s how Beomgyu ended up in Taehyun’s car, driving to an unknown destination. The tension in the car was so thick he was starting to feel suffocated, but thankfully Taehyun didn’t push him to make conversation, only putting on the car radio to drown out the deafening silence. 

An hour later, they finally parked and Beomgyu’s heart almost sank to his ass when he saw where they were. 

It was the beach that they had gone to on their first date, the very first time that Beomgyu had realised he had already fallen for Taehyun in a way that he couldn’t go back on anymore.

He could remember the day so vividly, the sun shining down brightly on them, the feeling of the sand in between his toes as they talked and ate the picnic he had packed, the way they had played around in the water and ended up soaked from head to toe. The way they had shared their first kiss as they cuddled together under a towel. 

“Why are we here?” Beomgyu whispered, still in disbelief that Taehyun had taken him there. 

“I thought… Well I thought it would be fitting. For your last day.” Taehyun responded, heading out of the car. “Now come on, let’s go.” 

Shivers running down his spine and his mind screaming at him to stay inside, he stupidly followed the other’s instructions and followed him silently to where he was leading them. He had a blanket and basket in his hands, happily walking towards the sand. 

Beomgyu looked around the area; although it was a warm and sunny day the beach was practically empty save for an elderly couple that seemed to be in their own world, walking along the water with a dog. The scenery before him was absolutely breathtaking, the blue water sparkling under the glare of the sun, the sand spotless and looking so soft. 

Taehyun wordlessly laid out the blanket, gesturing for him to take a seat which he did. They sat side by side, hands so close they were almost touching as they gazed at the endless view of the sea before them. 

Beomgyu was itching to hold his hand, desperate to feel his soft skin against his one last time. Holding Taehyun’s hand used to be his favourite form of physical contact; it was so simple but the way he would softly squeeze Beomgyu’s hand in his every few minutes or so in assurance that he was there did nothing but fill his heart and stomach with warmth and butterflies. So now that he was so close, every part of his being was screaming at him to grab it. 

But his mind reminded him of last night; the way Beomgyu had lay in bed, all alone, sobbing with a shattered heart that he couldn’t fix. And that alone brought him back to reality, so instead he pulled his hand away and directed his thoughts elsewhere. 

“Gyu?” Taehyun said softly beside him. 

“Yeah?” 

“You look nice today. Really nice.” 

Beomgyu’s heart almost jumped out of his chest at his words; it was just a harmless compliment but after being deprived of even hearing his voice for the past month, every word that came out of his mouth sounded like honey. 

“Thank you. You too.” 

_ Really Beomgyu? That’s all you got?  _

But in his defence, Taehyun seemed to like it as he chuckled and gazed at him, smiling that smile of his that he knew did something to Beomgyu’s insides. 

“So I have something to tell you.” Taehyun suddenly said, suddenly creating a put of dread in Beomgyu’s stomach. 

He prepared himself for the worst, his heart already beginning to crack. 

_ I’ve found someone else. I never loved you.  _

“I got a job in Seoul.” 

“Please spare me I… wait what?” Beomgyu suddenly paused mid speech. 

What the hell did Taehyun just say? 

“You said that we couldn’t be together because you wanted to go to Seoul and I wanted to stay in Daegu. So I got a job in Seoul.” Taehyun replied, flashing him the brightest smile. 

Beomgyu was speechless. He was bracing himself for the worst, expecting Taehyun to just rip his heart out and stomp all over it for the last time, sending him away with a heart that was damaged beyond repair. But here he was, telling him that he had gotten a job in the very same city that they had fought over before. 

“So what do you say? Am I worth another shot?” Taehyun asked, hope in his eyes with a hint of fear. 

At his words, Beomgyu laughed and tackled him to the ground so he was laying on top of him on the sand. 

“You always were.” 

  
  



End file.
